OTH: The Long Trip
by moriak14
Summary: This a sequel to my first story The Loner's Past. The future developement became present and homeless hedgies have to leave. Raccoon brothers RJ and Jack are about to lead them to the safest place they ever crossed, but as it is already known, things always gets more complicated.
1. Prologue

I don't own Over The Hedge. The movie belongs to DreamWorks. I own only the original characters and this story.

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 **PROLOGUE**

* * *

 **RJ**

Winter does tend to be boring sometimes. I hate boredom. My family was hybernating in a log except me and Jack. The suburbs were quiet and empty. Humans were all days inside or they exceptionally came out to take out the trash. Even heists were getting too old since the day I joined my family and reunited with my long-lost brother. We dicided to take away for a while. He needed some break from humans and I was looking for some adventure. It was a long trip, but the winter was almost over, like Verne used to say ‚there's only one more day left until the spring'.

Me and Jack were somewhere in Hillbilly woodland, the forest where we met for first time. We were heading home ready to get a lift.

 **Jack:** _(whisper)_ „Everything set!"

He climbed up the branch I was standing on. I checked everything with my binoculars and I could see a bottle filled with firecrackers, a whick sticking out of the bottle ending inside a half-full lighter dug in the mud.

The thing to do was spinning the striking wheel of the lighter and catch a deer.

 **ME:** "OK! Now I'll teach you how to play golf like a professional!"

I put my binoculars into my golf bag, exchanged for a golf stick and a golf ball. I set the ball, raised the club in the air and let it out with all my strength. It traveled through the air hitting some tree trunks and branches at wanted angle and after a while the golf ball hit the strike wheel and the lighter spit out the sparkle.

 **ME:** "Get ready, cowboy! It's now or never!"

 **Jack:** "Copy that!"

I put all my stuff back to my golf bag and put it on before the big shot echoed in the area scaring away the heard of deers straight to our direction.

 **Deer:** "GUNFIRE! GUNFIREEE!"- yelled a panicking deer.

 **Me:** "WAIT FOR IT..."

The herd started running away straight to our direction, from the source of that noise.

 **Me:** „WAIT FOR IT...

The herd was getting closer.

 **Me:** „JUMP!"

The herd was already beneath us so we jumped down landing on deer's back. Then they got scared more and tried to get us off of their backs.

 **ME:** "Hold tight! I haven't mounted the seat belts yet!"

 **Deer:** "Get off me!"

He tried to shake me off of his back.

 **Me:** "Do me a favor and I will."

I replyed mischievously then he went all crazy. I've done deer rodeo before, but they had their antlers back then. Now I had to hold the fur to stay on his back. After a while he got too tired to continue.

 **Me:** "Jack! Jump here. I tamed him!"

Jack jumped from one deer to another.

 **Deer:** "No, you didn't!"

He went all crazy running away from his herd, rushing through some bushes, low set branches to make me lose my head again, but I won't do the same mistake twice. I bent down and waited for him to get tired again:

 **Deer:** "You're still there?"

 **Me:** "Yep. Now turn left!"

 **Deer:** "NO!"

 **Me:** "You asked for it!"

There was a road leading to a highway. I wanted to catch a car. But this deer refused to cooperate! I took next lighter and the last firecracker from my bag. I burnt the whick and threw it to the right. When it exploded he instinctively turned left.

 **Deer:** "Stop doing that!"

 **Me:** "Sorry, you didn't give me a choice."

 **Deer:** „Fine! Fine!"

Now he was tame. Don't think I liked this way of conviction. I'm not a bully at all. After a few minutes we were running alongside the highway close to a car driven by a woman wearing her headphones, so she could hardly hear us.

 **Me:** "Get close to this car and stay with it."

 **Deer:** "OK boss."

While he locked on the target I took my fishing pole and one tiny roller skate. I hooked the roof of the car by fishing pole and put on my roller skate.

 **Me:** "Jack stay here! We'll get up the roof one by one! And you, stay with the car!"

I jumped landing on my right leg wearing the roller-skate and used the fishing pole to get closer till I was on top of the car.

 **Me:** "Jack! Catch!"

I threw the roller-skate at him. He put it on, caught the hook of my fishing pole and jumped. Well, he was't very skilled roller-skater, but it wasn't that bad at all. I pulled him up with my fishing pole and we were finally sitting on top of the car heading straight to El Rancho Camelot.

 **Me:** "Woohoo! We did it, bro!"

We gave each other high five and sat down the roof seeing the Hillbilly woodland getting far.

 **Me:** _(best mood ever)_ "So, how was your first ride?"

 **Jack:** "It was crazy, man! Really crazy!"  
 **Me:** _(poking at him)_ "Liar! You loved it. Confess!"

 **Jack:** "Whatever. This ride made me hungry!"

 **Me:** „problem solved!"

I took two garbage-cans of spuddies from my back and we both started eating our dinner.

 **Me:** "Enjoy your meel!"

I gave him one garbage can.

 **Jack:** "Thanks, bro."

The deer were nowhere to be seen anymore. I guess he wished to never see me again. We headed home from a long trip looking forward to see the rest of the sleepy family.

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I hope you'll love this story. I'll update in no time.


	2. Future developement

I don't own Over The Hedge. The movie belongs to DreamWorks. I own only the original characters and this story.

* * *

 **Jack**

You'll never get bored with that crazy raccoon. He always scares me when he says 'I've got an idea'. He gets an idea, no mater how dangerous or even impossible it is, and it surprisingly always works. I never met any luckier and crazier raccoon then he is.

We were walking to the Hedge when we suddenly heard noises of beeping, smashing and cracking. After a while there were some bulldozers in front of us.

 **Me:** „RJ, are you sure we're in the right place!"

He confusedly stared at these bulldozers.

 **RJ:** „Of course we are! But... Wait a minute."

He looked at those bulldozers confused and checked up his map.

 **RJ:** "Oh, no! How could I overlook this?"

 **Me:** „Overlook what?"

 **RJ:** „Future developement! They planned to build more houses! We must hurry!"

He started running so fast that I barely caught up with him. When we reached the place where the log used to be, but nobody except us and humans was there. We called their names with no response. We splitted up to find them sooner than any of these machines.

 **RJ:** „Keep looking! They must be there somewhere!"

I looked for them near the lake and RJ in half-destroyed forest. After a while I found Ozzie. He played dead, no mater how useless and dangerous it would be. There was next bulldoser rushing to his direction destroying everything in its path.

 **Me:** „Ozzie! What are you doing? get out of there!"

 **Ozzie:** „Jack?"

 **Me:** „Behind you!"

He turned around to see the bulldozer that was about to cross him over. I knew what's about to happen next. He played dead instead of running away. I ran there grabbed his tail and dragged him out of its way.

 **Me:** „'Now' isn't the good time to play dead! Where're the others?"

 **Ozzie:** „I don't know! It... it was all so fast ... I ... Oh no! Heather! Have you seen my daughter?"

Of course. How could playing possum answer to my question? But, never mind. One found ten missing.

 **Me:** „She would be here if I had. Now let's find them and get out of here!"

There came another bulldozer from aside rushing to us sending down another trees We ran to the direction where the log used to be. RJ with the rest of his family.

 **Verne:** „We all?"- asked Verne worriedly.

 **RJ:** „All twelve of us! Let's get out of here!"

We all followed RJ getting out of the destroyed forest, but Verne stood behind.

 **Verne: „** Wait, I'm not as fast as you."

 **Me:** „Get in your shell! Quick!"

He did so, I took the shell and caught up with them. After a while we were safe in somebody's garden staring at the last trees going down and the whole forest disappearing in front of us.

 **RJ:** „Uhh well... Good morning guys." _(laughing nervous)_

 **Stella:** _(angry)_ „Good morning? Good morning? What's good on this morning?"

She seemed prepared to gas him any minute.

 **Tiger:** „Calm down darling. He's not responsible for this."

 **Hammy:** „What do we do now?"

 **Bucky:** „What'll we go for food?"

 **Me:** „Listen, I know about a place. We were there all winter. It's pretty far from humans and pretty far from here.

 **Heather:** "How far is it?"

 **RJ:** "About 10 miles."

 **Verne:** _(eyes widen)_ „That far?"

 **RJ:** „Don't worry. First stop is in the rest area near Vincent's cave. It's not that far. You'll get some rest there while me and Jack will get the food."

 **Me:** „Who's Vincent?"

 **RJ:** _(a little nervous)_ „Old known, that'll try to kill me at the first meeting. Details."

 **Me:** „But why does he...?"

 **RJ:** „OK, guys. Let's go!"

He didn't let me finish, but never mind.

It didn't take us too long to reach the billboard sign ‚El Rancho Camelot' and they got tired faster than I excepted. That'll be a long trip.

* * *

 **PROLOGUE COMPLETED**


	3. Where to go?

I don't own Over The Hedge. The movie belongs to DreamWorks. I own only the original characters and this story.

* * *

 **ACT 1 - FAR CRY FROM HOME**

* * *

 **RJ**

That was close. I thought I lost them. Well, the upside of all this is that the future developement isn't problem anymore. The problem is to get them to the safe place the safest way. Shoot, that stupid responsibility isn't my thing. I live for danger, but endangering them because of my needs is so selfish. I promised I'll change. Shoot, I've never expected that it'll be so difficult.

I led them to the rest area. They all could barely move, because they're not used to walk that long. I bet they're not able to adapt themselves as fast as raccoons and that makes it harder for me or them both. The Vending mashine was empty.

 **Me:** „Shoot! Sorry guys, but we have to endure without food."

Suddenly heard van stopping by. I went to check it out and found out that this van was filled with the food. Those humans were going to fill the Vending mashine. I came back to others, with a great idea.

 **Me:** (whispering) „Hey guys, stay quiet and follow me!"

We went around the the block avoiding the contact with Those 2 men who carried some crates of food to the Vending mashine. We reached the van and there was a mountain of food. I got that need to take it all, but then I remembered the event one year ago. I snapped out of it and thought of a plan.

 **Me:** „Get on top of this car, wait for me and stay quiet. Jack, I need you to take this fishing pole. I'll hook some food and you'll pull it up."

 **Jack:** „But those men keep coming back."

 **Me:** „Don't worry. It's easy. You'll get on top of the van with the others . I'll be hidden if they show up. When they turn their backs on us, you'll spin this circle to get this hook down. I'll hook the crate then you'll pull it up by spining it backwards. I'll get up here and we'll wait until they move. Any questions?"

Quiet

 **ME:** "Alright, Stations everybody!"

Jack Hammy and Tiger climbed up first on their own and I gave the boost to the rest of my family.

After they all were on top of the van I hid under the car. They came for another crates and after they left with full hands of crates, I sneaked inside and took only one crate of Nacho chips. If I had took some more, they would have found out about that. Jack set the fishing line , I hooked the crate and he pulled it up. I got up the top those men came back for another crates. If they hadn't been that sleepy, they would have spot the big crate on top of their van. I could see that kids were about to unpack the chips.

 **Me:** _(whispering and holding their hands away from it)_ „No! They'll hear us! Hang on."

 **Jack:** „Stay low until the car moves."

After a while we coud hear those men coming back from the mashine.

 **Man 1:** „OK, one job is done two more to go. Where do we go now?"

 **Man 2:** „To the next rest area 1 mile away from Ravenwood."

 **Man 1:** „Man, that's so far."

 **Man 2:** „Hey! You want to drive?"

 **Man 1:** „No, it's your turn."

 **Man 2:** I thought so.

They reached the van and closed the back door.

 **Man 1:** „Do you know about any good shortcut?"

 **Man 2:** „We can take the shortcut through the Hillbilly Woodland and have a puncture like last time."

 **Man 1:** „Hey! I didn't see that jaw trap. What was it doing there anyway? It's nature reserve, isn't it?"

 **Man 2:** „Maybe some stupid poachers from Ravenwood. Have you ever heard about that Vermin Arena?"

 **Man 1:** „No, what's that?"

 **Man 2:** „ _(chuckle)_ That's the story! They take some cubs, train them to be aggresive, or trap some wild animals, bring them to sleep, take them straight to the arena and place their bets. _(laughs)_ Stupid redneck gamblers."

 **Man 1:** „Man that's sick. How do you know all this stuff?"

 **Man 2:** „I've got my sources?"

They entered the car and we finally moved.

 **Verne:** „Jaw traps? Pouchers? And what the hell is the Vermin Arena?"

 **Me:** „I don't know and I don't want to know."

He didn't ask me. It was Jack who told him that there are no humans. He was speechless.

 **Verne:** „Jack? You said..."

 **Jack:** „I know what I said, OK?"

 **Verne:** „You lied to us!"

 **Me:** „He had no choice. What would've you done if you'd found out about it sooner? Whould you go with us?"

 **Verne:** „No, I would stay."

 **Me:** „And there's the problem. You would stay and the others too."

 **Verne:** _(he raised his voice)_ „You're dangerous! _(pointed at me)_ And you are a liar! _(pointed at Jack)_ "

 **Me:** _(I raised my voice too letting him know how it is)_ „And what are you!?"

Everyone stared at me a little scared and confused. I never yelled at any of them before.

 **Verne:** „Careful! Do you even know what does that word mean?"

There was a long quiet. I spotted, that kids got scared of me, so I had to control myself. Well, too late.

 **Me:** _(in softer embarrased tone)_ „I don't say carefulness is a bad thing, alright? I just wanted to say... _(sigh)_ You're getting too far with that sometimes." _(I took a deep breath)_ "Sorry, I overreacted."

 **Jack:** „I'm sorry too."

 **Stella:** „I'm sorry for interupting you guys, but we'd like to know what're we going to do now?"

 **Me:** „Any ideas?"

I asked Verne. He was their main leader so I gave him the chance to think of something clever. He looked at everyone especially me and Jack, then he spoke:

 **Verne:** „We'll finish what've we started. But you two are responsible for anything that happens!"

 **Jack:** „Deal!"

I once said I hate responsibility. It's so annoying. After all went quiet, I sat quietly closing my eyes, imagining that the forest were still there and we never left. I were in my favourite spot eating spuddies.

 **Lou:** „Don't be too close to the edge kids! Come here!"

My eyes openned and I giggled for a while. It was fun to see Lou or Penny annoying their kids by their parenting. I've never had parents, but these porcupines do tend to be a good pattern in many ways, especially responsibility. I promised to myself that I'll do my best to take care of my family. I'm not that selfish loner anymore. I don't even want to rewind the time when I was. I enjoyed the present.

 **Jack:** „Uhh, RJ? Would you mind to tell me about Vincent, now?"

Shoot! The past strikes again!

Curiosity kills, brother, but if you want to know, be it! I told him all the story how I met Vincent, what made him so angry, and after I told him how I met my family, they talked for me. I honestly didn't pay attention to what they said about me. It's the past. Where have I finished? Wait... Right on top of my tongue... Oh yeah, I know. RESPONSIBILITY.

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Don't worry, I'm not trying to write anything moral. I'm only harmless fan of Over the Hedge who impatiently waited for the sequel :-D . I hope I entertained you. If yes, don't be shy and post some reviews. If no, do the same :-D . I'll update anytime. The story didn't start yet. Thanks for reading.


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